When did you take your child to the dentist

Cassie - posted on 10/28/2009
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I'm on Healthy Kids here in IL and they sent a letter not to long ago saying that my daughter hasn't been to the dentist yet and that she should have been by a year old. Well she is 14 months old and only has two teeth. When did you ladies start taking your little ones to the dentist?

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Susan - posted on 01/18/2010

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Two years old. That was even recomended by my dentist. They need teeth in to check them out. When my son went, it was a wonderful experience. The hygenists were awesome! Start them early so they get use to it and know what to expect, but having more teeth would sure help. Also, my son goes every six months and has no problem with it. He turns 8 in June.

It's never too young to take your child to the dentist...they recommend that you start taking them when the first tooth comes in so that they are use to someone looking at their teeth. That's what my son's dentist told us.

I say at age 2. Even if they don't have all of their teeth, you want them to have healthy gums. Especially if your child was on the bottle longer, or if those who have let their child sleep with a bottle.. Prolonged bottle feeding, especially sugary drinks like apple juice can cause premature tooth decay.

I'm a Registered Dental Hygienist and I usually like to see kids when they are about 3 years old because at that age they are usually able to follow simple directions. I took my daughter to see the dentist shortly after she turned 3. I always tell parents that if they can, to bring their kids in with them so that they can observe what is being done to mommy or daddy.

My daughter had a lot of other medical conditions that were more pressing than going to the dentist. She was 2yrs and 4 months old. She would not tolerate a dentist till then. She has an oral aversion and is in theropy for it. She actually had all her teeth by the time she went. I actually had to do alot of work with her on putting a tooth brush in her mouth let alone have a stranger open her mouth and do it.....LOL She is in the NO CAVITIES CLUB so I guess I know best.

I took my daughter at 3. I waited until I knew she would sit still, and not be afraid. And I am so glad I did because she had a great first experience. She didnt have any cavities and actually loves going there now :) I honestly think a year old is way too young...especially if they dont have many teeth. At 2 my daughter didnt have all her teeth yet!

Hello I am a EFDA and have been working in dentistry for over 12 years. We tell our parents that it is a good ideas to have their child examined at the age of 2. They might not have very many teeth however it is a good start to have them get used to the dentist. usually no x-rays are taken at this time unless there is an issue. we introduce mr thirsty and mr counter to them and they get to play with the water/air dragon. we find getting them used to the dentist at a young age helps for when and if the time comes to have a filling or any other work. We them would allow them to go on a treasure hunt through our hidded chest. Good luck!

I was told you're supposed to take them as soon as they get a tooth. Well my son has all his teeth shy of his 5 year molars and I have yet to take him. I figure I brush them 3 times a day (after every big meal). He should be cool for a little while longer.

I started taking my son when his first tooth came in, and have taken him every 6 months after that. He is now 3 years old and he loves going to the dentist. You should also already be brushing her gums and teeth. I started brushing my son's gums when he was 2 weeks old.

I brought my daughter, now age 9, when her first teeth showed up. It is good for the dentist to get a look at them early AND it makes certain ( I think) that they do not have a FEAR of the dentis,t because they get used to it early and the first years typically are very easy, nonthreatening visits. My daughter LOVES the dentist!!! She has never had cavities, she had her molars sealed as they came in which I think helped contribute to this. When I was teaching I saw many children in pre-k and Kindergaren with a mouthful of silver, as they had not been to a dentist until about age 4 and had developed "milk mouth", which the PARENTS had explained to me as a few years of sugar build up on their teeth from allowing them to sleep with bottles of milk/juice, softening the enamel, again this is from parents NOT a dentist. Had they gone to the dentist sooner the dentist could have seen the signs early and possibly prevented the extreme decay. Now my neices, now age 6, hadnt gone to the dentist till age 3 1/2, and their teeth are fine as well, my sister-in-law was always great about washing their gums and mouth as infants and brushing their teeth as they came in, they are identical twins, one was terrified of the dentist first 2 years, the other not. So ultimately I think it is YOUR preference and your judgement as to when YOU should bring them in. There are so many points of view on this subject, some believe tooth decay is hereditary, that if you have a history of cavities and root canals in the family it may be a sign of weaker tooth enamel within the family and if that is the case children should start seeing the dentist as early as possible. I hope this information helped. :)

My son turned 2 in Sept and i'm on Healthy Kids in MI and i just took him to the dentist because his back tooth was really bothering him and the dentist said it was coming through and pinching his gums a little but that he didn't need to come for an actual visit untill about 3 years old because he is too young to sit still for a cleaning

My daughter did not have any teeth until she was 16 months. I brought her in at 20 months. She is almost 13 years old and ever since she thought about careers, she has wanted to be a dentist. So I say the earleir the better. Let the kids feel comfortable at the dentist rather than afraid.

i took my son when he was 1 1/2 he got all his teeth earlii, & he was learnin how to walk & keep bustin his mouth so i was afraid he hurt his teeth, but he was okay & they told me it was to earlii to take him, then i took him when he turned 3 & he hated itttt omg he was cryin so much that they couldnt even clean his teeth, soon i have to take him again

I started mine at 2 yrs old. I cleaned his mouth and taught him how to use a toothbrush, but his first dental visit was at 2. I had grown up terrified of dentistry and did not want my child to be the same way. On his first visit, he was scared. Prior to the visit we listened many times to a Bill Cosby tape I had about going to the dentist. The day of the visit, the dentist very kindly showed him all around, and explained what different things were for. I sat in the dentist chair and held him on my lap and things went great. He never had a problem with going to the dentist after that.

Mine went at age 2. He had a flouride treatment, and it helped. At age three he had one odd cavity in a baby tooth, so it was good that he was adjusted to going... knew his doctor, and wanted a treat from the toy box.. He likes the dentist. She is fun with kids.Those monkey movies are more fun than my dentist has!

Jaxon has been going to the dentist since he was about 2 and he's 4 now. I think the sooner the better. He is allergic to milk and has a bad family history of dental problems. He is going to have to have surgery this Friday for dental work to be done. I have always been really hard on him about his teeth though, brushing 2-3 times a day and nothing to drink after burshing. The sooner they start going the less likely they will be scared. Jaxon loves his dentist now. He has been saying all week that he's going to get his teeth fixed and his doctor "rocks." LOL

I tried to make a dentist appointment for my son and they told me that here they don't typically see kids until the age of 4. Fortunately for me, public health in this city is fantastic and hooked me up with a dental hygenist that was seeing clients for free at the local early years centre. He just took a quick look and then made specific recommendations... my son didn't have any cavities or anything (hes 2) so I didn't have to pursue it any further.

I'm on Healthy Kids here in IL and they sent a letter not to long ago saying that my daughter hasn't been to the dentist yet and that she should have been by a year old. Well she is 14 months old and only has two teeth. When did you ladies start taking your little ones to the dentist? Thanks!!

Hi Cassie,

I didn't take my daughter to the dentist until she had her full set of baby teeth. I made an appointment for myself & asked to have my daughter be able to come in to watch during the appointment (I was just having a cleaning). Anyway when I made an appointment for her, I requested they assess her teeth for anything that might be wrong & they were awesome. The dentist only counted her teeth & showed her proper brushing techniques & gave her a new toothbrush. she's never been afraid to go since then. If you don't see any problems with your child's teeth as they're coming in I wouldn't worry until they have their full set. You can call your dentist to ask what they'd suggest. Also I'd ask for someone that really works well with small children in making them feel comfortable & unafraid.

I took mine when he was 3, I didn't know we were able to take them sooner. But the dentist told me it was best to take them once they get their first tooth to monitor the growth and such. So, it's not a bad idea to take him to the dentist.

I took my daughter when she was 9 months old as she had 4 teeth by then and i had a regular check up appt anyway, she just came in with me, more to get used to the dentist and she could see i wasn't afraid so she let the dentist look at her teeth too. Now she always comes in with me when i have my check ups and enjoys getting a sticker. She's just turned 2 now and has a full set of teeth and no fear of the dentist. If you're unsure ring your dentist to see what they advise, thats what i did.

Hi! I worked for a denist and you should take your kids to see the denist when they're around 6 - 8 months. It doesn't matter if the kids don't have many teeth yet. The denist still likes to just look and check things out. It's also getting your children ready for the denist when they get older. Hopefully they won't be so scared later on. Anyway, I hope this helps and good luck!

My son will be 4 in Dec., and his first dentist visit was just last week. I asked the hygienist at my dentists office, and she said they recommend coming at about age 3. By that age, the child can listen and cooperate. Well, as much as a 3 yo will cooperate!

My son had just turned two. I was told I should have waited until he turned three. Our family dentist only did a quick inspection and said that we can hold off on the cleanings. I have great dental coverage so I don't think she was trying to save me a buck.

Thanks ladies. I just dont have a dentist because I don't have any dental insurance and my work charges way to much for how little I make. I'll talk with our regular doctor and then see who I can have her go to. It changes all the time with Public aid!! I do appreciate the comments!! Now we just gotta work on getting her more then 2 teeth in.

I would check with your dentist. Mine said not to worry about it until the child was three. I took her with me to my appointment when she was 2-1/2 yrs and she had her first appt at 3yrs. She is another who *likes* going to the dentist but then she has not had a cavity yet. One thing you might ask for is to schedule appts for both of you back-to-back with the same dental assistant, at least for the first few visits. I did this with my daughter and it was much easier on her. She got a reminder of what would happen during my part and the assistant did the cleaning part for both of us before the dentist came in. This way he only needed to stop in the room once and the appt was actually shorter than scheduled but the care was as good as two separate appts.

I didn't take mine soon enough. They say as soon as they get their first tooth or by age 1. I'm a Dental Asst. now and regret not taking him sooner. They can go with you to your hygiene visit and ride in the chair, watch what you do (have done to you), and meet the dentist. First impressions are everything.

My son had 20 teeth by the time he turned 2... but I didn't take him to the dentist for the first time until about a year later. I believe you SHOULD take them earlier but I just never got around to it. The good news is, his teeth are great and his dentist said they really don't do much at any age earlier than that anyway. I do have a friend that took her baby at 18 months and they did a flouride treatment! So I guess if he has a few teeth it's good to take him, but not a necessity.

i brought my little girl when she was about 13 months it wont hurt to bring her now it will help if somethin is going wrong and you dont even no it so i would if i was you get her ok with going now so shes not so scared to go as she gets older

Just did...my son turned 3 and has a mouth full of teeth. He loved it (weird kid). He even let them clean his teeth. They checked his mouth and cleaned his teeth. it took all of ten minutes, he got a prize from the treasure chest and of he went. My doctor said that going anytime between 2-3 years old is fine. I was just really relaxed about it up until then......